Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Iraq snapshot

Wednesday, March 18, 2015. Chaos and violence continue, the assault on Tikrit remains on hold, Mosul gets leafleted about an upcoming assault, no progress on Iraq's political front, some attention is focused on Human Rights Watch's report on the human rights abuses (War Crimes) carried out by Iraqi forces, and much more.

Peshmerga officers told Human Rights Watch they saw 47
villages in which militias had destroyed and ransacked homes, businesses,
mosques, and public buildings. Residents told Human Rights Watch that the
militias included the Badr Brigades, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haqq, Kita’ib
Hezbollah, and Saraya Tala’a al-Khorasani, and that they destroyed
numerous villages between the towns of al-Khales, in southern Diyala province,
and Amerli, about 50 kilometers to the north in Salah al-Din province.Satellite imagery corroborates witness accounts that in many
cases Iraqi government forces and militias targeted the same villages and towns
in which, supported by coalition air strikes, they had fought ISIS in the weeks
before they lifted ISIS’s siege of Amerli. Satellite imagery showed that
most of the damage they inflicted on these towns and villages after they lifted
the siege resulted from arson and building demolition.On the basis of field visits, interviews with more than 30
witnesses, and analysis of photographs and satellite imagery, Human Rights Watch
found that an area that included 35 villages and towns showed extensive
destruction caused by fire, explosives and heavy earth moving equipment. The
evidence showed that most of the damage occurred between early September and
mid-November 2014. Using satellite imagery, Human Rights Watch identified over 3,800
destroyed buildings in 30 towns and villages, including 2,600 buildings likely
destroyed by fire and a further 1,200 buildings likely demolished with heavy
machinery and the uncontrolled detonation of high explosives. This destruction
was distinct from damages resulting from air strikes and heavy artillery and
mortar fire prior to ISIS’s retreat from Amerli, which Human Rights Watch
separately identified using the satellite imagery. Human Rights Watch’s
field research together with the satellite imagery analysis indicates that
militias engaged in deliberate and wanton
destruction of civilian property after the retreat of ISIS and the end of
fighting in the area.

In the four towns and villages that Human Rights Watch
visited, researchers found evidence of extensive fire damage limited to the interior
of buildings that would not be detectable in satellite imagery, indicating
actual fire-related building damages are likely to be substantially higher than
2,600 in the affected 30 towns and villages assessed. On the basis of witness
statements and analysis of satellite imagery, Human Rights Watch believes this
damage was likely the result of arson perpetrated by pro-government forces.

For a change, an HRW report on Iraq is getting serious media attention. For example, Missy Ryan (Washington Post) notes the report:Shiite militias and Iraqi government forces burned and looted dozens of
villages, abducting at least 11 local residents, in the wake of a
U.S.-supported operation against the Islamic State last year, a human
rights group has charged in a new report.

“Iraq can’t win the fight against Isis’s atrocities with attacks on
civilians that violate the laws of war and fly in the face of human
decency,” said Joe Stork, HRW’s deputy Middle East and North Africa
director. “Militia abuses are wreaking havoc among some of Iraq’s most vulnerable people and exacerbating sectarian hostilities.”

Of the Shi'ite forces doing the terrorizing, AFP observes, "The units have played a key role in the fight to drive IS back, but
relying on such groups further entrenches them in Iraq, giving them an
expanded power base that will be difficult to dislodge."

Anne Barnard (New York Times) uses the HRW findings as a jumping off point to note what's taken place during the current Tikrit offensive:During the current Tikrit offensive, video clips from the town of Albu
Ajeel, where many militiamen believe villagers aided in the massacre,
showed burning shops and buildings and a uniformed man declaring, “Burn
them, burn them.” Few residents appear to have returned.

And while that attention is needed, the world continues to look the
other way as the Iraqi government continues to daily bomb the
residential neighborhoods of Falluja. This action is a legally defined
War Crime (it's known as collective punishment). Then Prime Minister
Nouri al-Maliki began the bombings in January of 2014. In September of
2014, new Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced he had stopped the
bombings.

But he hadn't and the bombings continued.

Today, Iraqi Spring Media notes Falluja General Hospital received nine dead and wounded from the latest bombings by the Iraqi government. They also note
that the bombings have left dead at least 2399 people (332 children,
184 women among them) and at least 4080 injured (484 children and 381
women among them).

The Human Rights Watch report did mean the State Dept's Jen Psaki was forced to mouth some meaningless words today.

QUESTION:
There’s a report just came out today from the Human Rights Watch talking
about the militia attacks destroyed villages. It’s their reports about
after liberation came destruction. And I know that you’ve answered
that question about that and the human rights abuse by the militias in
Diyala and other areas, and U.S. sent delegations in the past to Baghdad
and Erbil to check on that. Have you got any result on those
investigations that Prime Minister Abadi said he will conduct
investigation on that?

MS. PSAKI:
Well, I think, one, we understand that the prime minister’s office has
responded to the Human Rights Watch report, noting that the legal
measures were taken against individuals who committed human rights
abuses in Amirli such as the destruction and looting of civilian
property as well as those accused of kidnapping civilians. So there has
been action taken in that regard. Obviously, there are newer reports
we’ve spoken to recently that they are certainly looking into.

We can’t confirm the
allegations in the Human Rights Watch report regarding potential abuses,
but we agree that the long-term solution to the instability Iraq faces
right now requires the political leadership to make the kinds of
decision that’s – decisions that will unite the country and not promote
sectarianism.

Political leadership, Jen sputters. She's attempting (and failing) to go with "political solutions" -- what US President Barack Obama declared was the only answer back in June. Haider al-Abadi became prime minister in August.

He's proven very good with words.

But words are empty and meaningless when there's no follow through.

That's true of his announcing the end of the government bombing Falluja's residential neighborhoods on September 13th when the bombings continued.

It's true of his announcing an end to the oil dispute between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Monday, Rudaw reported on how those words still haven't transferred into reality leading the KRG to issue a statement this week:

Baghdad cut off the Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget in January last year, placing a severe strain on the Kurdish government that is at war with the Islamic State (ISIS) and is grappling with received 1.4 million refugees from Syia and the rest of Iraq.
The deal signed in December – at a crucial time when both Baghdad and Erbil are at war with the Islamic State (ISIS) – was meant to have mended months of strained ties and disagreements over Kurdish oil exports. The 2015 federal budget had promised the resumption of payments to Erbil to turn the regional government.
The KRG statement complained that Baghdad was not sticking to its end of the bargain.
It noted that Erbil is “on track” with its promised delivery of Kurdish oil at Ceyhan, and was “also facilitating the export of otherwise stranded oil produced by the North Oil Company in Kirkuk.”
The statement added that, in line with its commitment to the terms of the 2015 federal budget, the KRG had until the end of February met almost 97 percent of its agreed supply of crude oil to SOMO at the Turkish port.
“The KRG in turn expects the federal government to honor its obligations under the budget law and to provide the KRG with its legal monthly entitlement to its share of the budget, including the agreed special allocation of funds for the Peshmerga forces,” the statement said.
“To date, the federal government has provided the KRG with less than 20 percent of its share of the budget for January and nothing for February,” the statement noted.

The oil deal has proven to be nothing but empty words -- something Jen Psaki knows a great deal about.

Here she is prattling away about the oil deal on November 13th:QUESTION: Have you seen reports that the Kurds and the Iraqis – or the government in Baghdad have reached an oil agreement?MS. PSAKI: Yes. Yes, I have.QUESTION: Do you have any response to that?MS. PSAKI: We welcome the announcement that an agreement has
been reached between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan
Regional Government to take initial steps at finding a fair and
comprehensive solution on the management of Iraq’s hydrocarbon
resources. We urge that these steps be taken as soon as possible to
build trust as Iraqi leaders continue to discuss remaining issues in the
coming days toward a just and constitutional solution that will allow
all Iraqis to benefit fairly and equitably from Iraq’s hydrocarbon
sector.We are encouraged by this development and the willingness of
officials in Baghdad and Erbil to address these complex issues directly
and earnestly. We understand that this is the first of many steps that
will be required to reach a comprehensive agreement, and the United
States will continue to serve as a neutral broker and facilitator to the
extent desired by the leadership of both Iraq and the KRG.QUESTION: Do you know or can you speak to what the U.S. involvement as a neutral facilitator was in getting to this point? Do you know?MS. PSAKI: I – that’s a great question. I’d have to talk to
our team about our involvement in the last couple of days. Obviously,
we’ve been encouraging both sides for some time to resolve this issue,
but I can see if there’s more on that front to report.QUESTION: Ambassador McGurk was in Iraq. Did he play any role to facilitate this agreement?MS. PSAKI: Say that one more time?QUESTION: Ambassador Brett McGurk was in Iraq a few days ago.

MS. PSAKI: Yes, he was. It’s a great question. I don’t have
any details on his involvement. Obviously, this was largely negotiated
between the KRG and the Government of Iraq. We’ve certainly been
encouraging them to resolve this for some time. I can see if there’s any
more to read out about his involvement.

And nothing's happened on that 'deal' since November.

The White House has been pushing for a national guard for Iraq since last summer. The basic notion would have the Kurds over the Kurdish area (they already are) and Shi'ite brigades over Shi'ite dominant areas and Sunni brigades over Sunni dominant areas.

They've been pushing for that since last summer.

And?

Monday, All Iraq News noted the bill on the National Guard would be read (again) in Parliament.

That's all that ever happens.

It gets read in Parliament.

Still not passed.

Where's the progress?

The political process, like the assault on Tikrit, is stalled.

Having taken 12 days to reach Tikrit (and, turns out, just the edges of the city), the assault was quickly put on pause as officials began whining that (a) reinforcements were needed and (b) US air strikes were needed.

Secretary General of al- Jihad and Construction Movement Hassan al-Sari
stressed on Tuesday that the liberation of Tikrit operations are going
on as planned and there is no pause in military operations.

he
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi assured that the security and
military operations in Salah-il-Din province are going on according to
set schedule.

Statement
by Abadi's office quoted him as saying while meeting several military
commanders "Liberating Tikrit is possible now but we are keen in
protecting the civilians and preparing for a perfect spread for the
soldiers in the positions of the battle field."

Abadi
clarified "The changes of some security commands do not mean that those
commands are not qualified but this is required in the military
techniques in order to push new blood."

Abadi warned from "listening to rumors of those who do not want good things for Iraq."

Is anyone taking Haider seriously?

Has anyone taken him seriously since late last year when he visited the United States and declared publicly that there were plans to attack NYC's public transport?

Meanwhile, the pause in fighting in Tikrit has stirred
doubts about whether pro-government forces can beat the Islamic State in
street battles. Karim said the military decided to stall its advance to
put in place a plan that would “guarantee fewer casualties.”Workers
in a cemetery in the southern city of Najaf, where many pro-government
Shiite fighters are taken for burial, have said that as many as 60
fighters were dying a day at the peak of operations in Tikrit.

The
pro-government forces are yet to enter the city center, but they have
reclaimed a string of towns and villages in Salahuddin province, buoying
morale among the about 20,000 militiamen who have joined the fight. A
few hundred Sunni tribesmen also participated.

Yet to enter the city center.

So 18 days after the assault on the city started, they've still not made it to the city center.

This has not been a successful operation or anything to instill hope for future ones.

Despite the fact that the Tikrit assault remains on hold, Haider's eager to start more assaults.

All Iraq News reports
that planes dropped leaflets on Nineveh Province today warning that
combat will begin shortly. Mosul's the key city in the province. The
Islamic State seized control of Mosul last June. Alsumaria publishes
the actual memo dropped on Mosul which instructs residents to step
forward and identify not only members of the Islamic State but also
collaborators. There are reports that trenches have been dug around
Mosul by the Islamic State to ward off easy access to the city.

We'll close with this from the UNHCR:ERBIL, Iraq, March 17 (UNHCR) – Following
last year's turmoil in northern and central Iraq, the political and
security progress in Iraq remains positive, but UNHCR Representative in
Iraq Neill Wright believes it will take many more months before this is
reflected in an improvement in the daily lives of most Iraqi citizens.
Meanwhile, the numbers and needs of Syrian refugees and Iraqis displaced
within their country are expected to continue growing throughout 2015
as there is no solution to the Syria crisis in sight, and efforts to
degrade the capacity of militant forces will take time. At the same
time, Wright notes, the funding prospects for humanitarian programmes in
2015 are bleak. UNHCR and its partners will have to increasingly focus
on protection and assistance only for the most vulnerable. Wright
answered written questions about these and other issues. Excerpts:What are the greatest challenges UNHCR faces in helping the forcibly displaced in Iraq?In addition to the funding shortfalls, the main challenge is to
obtain safe access to persons of concern who are living in areas under
the control of the Islamic State and other armed groups. Nearly 50 per
cent of the Iraqi IDPs [internally displaced people] live in such areas – especially in the governorates of Anbar, Salah al Din and Ninewa.Winter is almost over; would you say UNHCR was well enough prepared to cope with the winter weather?Due to the existing refugee response capacities in early 2014, the UN
was able to rapidly build its response to the massive internal
displacement that took place last year. I would not say that UNHCR was
well enough prepared for the 2014-2015 winter, but the weather was not
as severe as had been expected, and there were no major crises amongst
the refugees and IDPs, largely due to the extraordinary hard work that
UNHCR and its partners were able to do between October and December. I
have no doubt that the winterization programmes saved many lives.Fierce clashes are under way in the Salah el Din district,
particularly around Tikrit. Has UNHCR been able to help those displaced
by the fighting?UNHCR has already responded to the new displacement resulting from
the military offensive to liberate Tikrit [launched on March 1],
distributing non-food items from its Baghdad warehouse through its
partner, Muslim Aid. UN sister agencies and NGOs will continue to work
together in support of the government to provide protection and
assistance.Protection needs assessments are still under way to more effectively
identify the numbers of newly displaced and their particular
vulnerabilities. Access from Baghdad to deliver relief items requires
movement through several insecure areas. Close attention to mitigating
the risks for our brave field staff and those of our partners will be
needed in the days and weeks ahead.Is UNHCR prepared for a further escalation in the fighting and displacement?UNHCR has developed contingency plans for large-scale displacement
when the Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga [fighters from Iraqi
Kurdistan] start their offensive to liberate [the northern city of]
Mosul. Given the current funding constraints, the in-country capacity is
inadequate, and we will have to depend upon the rapid deployment of
global contingency stocks and emergency response teams if we are to
respond effectively to this contingency.Are you worried about access to Iraqi Kurdistan for newly displaced people?In my meetings with politicians from the Kurdistan Regional
Government, I know that they are committed to the principle of freedom
of movement for all Iraqi citizens. Nevertheless, there have been
instances where security agencies have denied access to Kurdistan in the
past few months. I see this both as a reflection of the generous
hospitality in 2014 diminishing and of concerns about terrorist
infiltration amongst the security agencies, and not as a change in
political policy.Given your extensive experience, how does this operation compare to other assignments and missions that you have been on?I never cease to feel proud of the work that UNHCR colleagues achieve
in the most difficult, insecure and unpredictable environments, and
those achievements are evident to me here in Iraq on a daily basis.
There are many political, security and economic aspects of building a
better future for Iraqi citizens that UNHCR cannot directly influence,
but the UNHCR team here should take great pride in all it is doing to
improve protection and provide relief from suffering for some
two-and-a-half million people of concern to the High Commissioner for
Refugees.

UNHCR in Iraq now has just over 400 international, national and
affiliate workforce staff. While this is a huge number by UNHCR
standards worldwide, the UN declared the situation in Iraq to be a Level
3 Emergency in August 2014, and UNHCR has stepped up to the mark in
responding effectively to the growing needs. Given the present financial
situation, the High Commissioner [for Refugees António Guterres] has
had no choice but to decide to cut staffing worldwide in 2015, and the
Iraq operation will be reducing its staffing by some 5 per cent this
year.

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
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